Copy and paste this worksheet as a separate page linked to the Homepage of your portfolio. DO NOT type your answers on THIS document because it needs to be used by other students. The title of your page which replies to these questions is linked to your portfolio and should begin with the first initials of your first and last name. (In my case, the link to this worksheet from my portfolio page would read frqueensgarden.)
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, October 20). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0. You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The Queen's Garden follows the story of the narrator, Brenda Aoki. Brenda Aoki is young women, around high school age, and is a mix of Scotish, Pacific Islander, Mexican, Chinese, and Japenese and lives on the Westside in California during the 1960's with her large family. Brenda's father owns a drugstore that she and the rest of her family all work at together. However, while her whole family works at the drugstore, Brenda is her father's most loyal and trustworthy employee as she answers the phone, and assists him in accomplishing his other general tasks. Other characters associated with Brenda during the stasis include Big Mike, Aunti Mary, Kali and all of his friends such as Smoke, among others.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion of the story is when Brenda is first introduced to Kail. Brenda's relationship with Kali is the beginning of her maturation into adulthood from a young and innocent child. Brenda is first introduced to Kali at the regatta. At the regatta, Aunti Mary, a close confidante of Brenda, introduces her to her son, Darren/Kali, and the two teenagers immediately hit it off. This acts as the intrusion of the play as prior to this moment, Brenda remains relatively unbothered, simply living her life in full awareness of the mundane ritual of her everyday life at the drugstore. The relationship that Brenda begins with Kali is a focal point of the play as she enters high school, as she moves back to the West Side after a short stint in college, and upon Kali's imprisonment in Thailand. Kali and Brenda's relationship plays a key role in understanding the relationships of the West Side and the nature of life in their community. Therefore, due to its impact on the dramatic action throughout the rest of the play, the initial meeting between Kali and Brenda serves as the intrusion of the show.
3. What is the unique factor?
This is the day that the narrator decides to tell her story about living and being raised in the West Side, a community in California, along with her various trials, tribulations, struggles, and successes.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Kali and Brenda end up together or will Brenda be able to escape from the cyclical nature of the West Side community? The question is answered at the end of the play when Kali is eventually murdered by Smoke and Brenda does not end up with him. In addition, Brenda decides to move to San Francisco where she tries her best to start her life anew rather than stay in the West Side. However, there is a slightly ambiguous ending as to whether after Brenda returns to the West Side to aid Kali she will return in the West Side. It can be assumed since her new home has been set down in San Francisco, she will return there rather than stay put in her hometown.
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
The exposition known to most in the story is the background of the social, racial, and economic breakdown of the West Side. The facts that are laid out about the status of the West Side are known to all of the characters in the play. All of the characters know that they are living in a more lower class area with sharply different demographics than that of their surrounding area. The status of the character's class and status is understood by the characters, the narrator, and the reader making such facts known exposition. However, the other part of the expedition is that part that only the reader knows. The part of the expedition that the reader knows is that while Brenda is from the West Side, she is removed from the culture and is an individual in her own right. The audience is made aware of this as Brenda is placed into higher level courses than all of her friends from the West Side who are essentially placed into lower level courses based on where they are from. While reading, the audience is able to take note of all of the transitions truthfully. Because the characters are unaware of Brenda's separation but the audience is, it is labeled as an exposition known to only one.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment of the play is the murder scene/riot at the end of the play. This is the most theatrical moment of the play as it is the moment when a key character in the play, Kali, is murdered by his best friend Smoke. The scene is theatrical due to the fact that there are various gunshots going off at the same time on stage. In addition, the fact that Kali is being killed by his best friend and the shock and terror that the reveal causes is an interesting was to draw readers in an attempt to increase the theatrical nature of the scene. The scene is also the most important not only because of the death of one of the play's leads, but it also drives home the symbolism to the death of the West Side in coordination with the death of Kali and Aunti Mary's garden.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
The themes of the play include the themes of loyalty, love, and family.The themes of loyalty are discussed in detail through the relationships between Kali and his gang. Kali considers his gang to be his family. They are expected to help each other through every part of their life and all of their troubles which is why Kali becomes so upset when Smoke does not come to rescue him from the cage when he is imprisoned in Thailand. The loyalty or lack thereof causes Kali to eventually want to die by the hands of Smoke. The theme of love is discussed through the interactions of Kali and Brenda. Their love was originally one of teenage infatuation that slowly grew into becoming a more mature and adult love. Their relationship and the way that it changes throughout the course of the play show how the author used to love as one of the play's major themes. The theme of family is also discussed through Brenda's relationship with her family. Brenda's large family who all work together at her father's drugstore show just how important family is to the Asian American culture. However, while they are all close, Brenda does see the world differently from her family and is therefore slightly isolated because of her beliefs.
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
The narrator wants to be successful. In her eyes, being successful means being independent, financially stable, and out of the West Side. At the beginning of the play, the narrator wants to be a teacher. Brenda wants to be able to escape the West Side and go to college so she makes sure that she defies the norm of becoming pregnant at a young age and dropping out of school. Later on, when Brenda has finished college, she decides to come back to the West Side despite all of her desires to escape. Her reason for returning is to help her family financially after her father's drug store is taken from them. Upon returning, Brenda continues to try and reach her goals by becoming a teacher at her old high school where she attempts to be a source of hope and inspiration for her students. However, upon her return, she rekindles a relationship with her old flame, Kali. Kali basically requires Brenda to become his own personal babysitter since Kali cannot take care of himself. Finally, even when she moves to San Francisco, Brenda is still brought back to the West Side because of Kali.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The title, The Queen's Garden, illustrates the image of Aunti Mary's garden. Aunti Mary's garden is described by the narrator as being the only beautiful part of the West Side. The garden, with its red roses and beautiful plants as well as Aunti Mary's status as one of the more popular members of the West Side community, all help to make the garden seem like a garden fit for a Queen; hence the title, The Queen's Garden. The image of the red roses of the garden being strewn all over the yard and through the air during the final scene illustrates the death and destruction of the beautiful thing in the West Side, the garden. The roses are seen being thrown all throughout the air as all of the hope, joy, and beauty, is also destroyed through the actions of Smoke, Kali, and their opposing gangs. The Queen's Garden is Aunti Mary's garden and Aunti Mary's garden is the only beautiful spot in a community wrought by violence, ignorance, hate, and crime.
10. Briefly, define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
Family is redefined in The Queen's Garden by the fraternal relationships between Kali and his gang. Kali and his friends rely on each other more than anybody else. In fact, when Kali is not saved from the prison in Thailand by Smoke, Kali becomes distraught and believes that Smoke has let him down and that he, therefore, must die. The relationship between the boys in the gang shows just how strong fraternal bonds can be and how family does not have to defined as blood relationships. Rather, the close-knit nature of Kali and his boys shows the importance of loyalty in the definition of family.
Copy and paste this worksheet as a separate page linked to the Homepage of your portfolio. DO NOT type your answers on THIS document because it needs to be used by other students. The title of your page which replies to these questions is linked to your portfolio and should begin with the first initials of your first and last name. (In my case, the link to this worksheet from my portfolio page would read frqueensgarden.)
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them ontime (no later than Friday, October 20). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammer and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The Queen's Garden follows the story of the narrator, Brenda Aoki. Brenda Aoki is young women, around high school age, and is a mix of Scotish, Pacific Islander, Mexican, Chinese, and Japenese and lives on the Westside in California during the 1960's with her large family. Brenda's father owns a drugstore that she and the rest of her family all work at together. However, while her whole family works at the drugstore, Brenda is her father's most loyal and trustworthy employee as she answers the phone, and assists him in accomplishing his other general tasks. Other characters associated with Brenda during the stasis include Big Mike, Aunti Mary, Kali and all of his friends such as Smoke, among others.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion of the story is when Brenda is first introduced to Kail. Brenda's relationship with Kali is the beginning of her maturation into adulthood from a young and innocent child. Brenda is first introduced to Kali at the regatta. At the regatta, Aunti Mary, a close confidante of Brenda, introduces her to her son, Darren/Kali, and the two teenagers immediately hit it off. This acts as the intrusion of the play as prior to this moment, Brenda remains relatively unbothered, simply living her life in full awareness of the mundane ritual of her everyday life at the drugstore. The relationship that Brenda begins with Kali is a focal point of the play as she enters high school, as she moves back to the West Side after a short stint in college, and upon Kali's imprisonment in Thailand. Kali and Brenda's relationship plays a key role in understanding the relationships of the West Side and the nature of life in their community. Therefore, due to its impact on the dramatic action throughout the rest of the play, the initial meeting between Kali and Brenda serves as the intrusion of the show.
3. What is the unique factor?
This is the day that the narrator decides to tell her story about living and being raised in the West Side, a community in California, along with her various trials, tribulations, struggles, and successes.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will Kali and Brenda end up together or will Brenda be able to escape from the cyclical nature of the West Side community? The question is answered at the end of the play when Kali is eventually murdered by Smoke and Brenda does not end up with him. In addition, Brenda decides to move to San Francisco where she tries her best to start her life anew rather than stay in the West Side. However, there is a slightly ambiguous ending as to whether after Brenda returns to the West Side to aid Kali she will return in the West Side. It can be assumed since her new home has been set down in San Francisco, she will return there rather than stay put in her hometown.
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
The exposition known to most in the story is the background of the social, racial, and economic breakdown of the West Side. The facts that are laid out about the status of the West Side are known to all of the characters in the play. All of the characters know that they are living in a more lower class area with sharply different demographics than that of their surrounding area. The status of the character's class and status is understood by the characters, the narrator, and the reader making such facts known exposition. However, the other part of the expedition is that part that only the reader knows. The part of the expedition that the reader knows is that while Brenda is from the West Side, she is removed from the culture and is an individual in her own right. The audience is made aware of this as Brenda is placed into higher level courses than all of her friends from the West Side who are essentially placed into lower level courses based on where they are from. While reading, the audience is able to take note of all of the transitions truthfully. Because the characters are unaware of Brenda's separation but the audience is, it is labeled as an exposition known to only one.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment of the play is the murder scene/riot at the end of the play. This is the most theatrical moment of the play as it is the moment when a key character in the play, Kali, is murdered by his best friend Smoke. The scene is theatrical due to the fact that there are various gunshots going off at the same time on stage. In addition, the fact that Kali is being killed by his best friend and the shock and terror that the reveal causes is an interesting was to draw readers in an attempt to increase the theatrical nature of the scene. The scene is also the most important not only because of the death of one of the play's leads, but it also drives home the symbolism to the death of the West Side in coordination with the death of Kali and Aunti Mary's garden.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
The themes of the play include the themes of loyalty, love, and family.The themes of loyalty are discussed in detail through the relationships between Kali and his gang. Kali considers his gang to be his family. They are expected to help each other through every part of their life and all of their troubles which is why Kali becomes so upset when Smoke does not come to rescue him from the cage when he is imprisoned in Thailand. The loyalty or lack thereof causes Kali to eventually want to die by the hands of Smoke. The theme of love is discussed through the interactions of Kali and Brenda. Their love was originally one of teenage infatuation that slowly grew into becoming a more mature and adult love. Their relationship and the way that it changes throughout the course of the play show how the author used to love as one of the play's major themes. The theme of family is also discussed through Brenda's relationship with her family. Brenda's large family who all work together at her father's drugstore show just how important family is to the Asian American culture. However, while they are all close, Brenda does see the world differently from her family and is therefore slightly isolated because of her beliefs.
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
The narrator wants to be successful. In her eyes, being successful means being independent, financially stable, and out of the West Side. At the beginning of the play, the narrator wants to be a teacher. Brenda wants to be able to escape the West Side and go to college so she makes sure that she defies the norm of becoming pregnant at a young age and dropping out of school. Later on, when Brenda has finished college, she decides to come back to the West Side despite all of her desires to escape. Her reason for returning is to help her family financially after her father's drug store is taken from them. Upon returning, Brenda continues to try and reach her goals by becoming a teacher at her old high school where she attempts to be a source of hope and inspiration for her students. However, upon her return, she rekindles a relationship with her old flame, Kali. Kali basically requires Brenda to become his own personal babysitter since Kali cannot take care of himself. Finally, even when she moves to San Francisco, Brenda is still brought back to the West Side because of Kali.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
The title, The Queen's Garden, illustrates the image of Aunti Mary's garden. Aunti Mary's garden is described by the narrator as being the only beautiful part of the West Side. The garden, with its red roses and beautiful plants as well as Aunti Mary's status as one of the more popular members of the West Side community, all help to make the garden seem like a garden fit for a Queen; hence the title, The Queen's Garden. The image of the red roses of the garden being strewn all over the yard and through the air during the final scene illustrates the death and destruction of the beautiful thing in the West Side, the garden. The roses are seen being thrown all throughout the air as all of the hope, joy, and beauty, is also destroyed through the actions of Smoke, Kali, and their opposing gangs. The Queen's Garden is Aunti Mary's garden and Aunti Mary's garden is the only beautiful spot in a community wrought by violence, ignorance, hate, and crime.
10. Briefly, define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
Family is redefined in The Queen's Garden by the fraternal relationships between Kali and his gang. Kali and his friends rely on each other more than anybody else. In fact, when Kali is not saved from the prison in Thailand by Smoke, Kali becomes distraught and believes that Smoke has let him down and that he, therefore, must die. The relationship between the boys in the gang shows just how strong fraternal bonds can be and how family does not have to defined as blood relationships. Rather, the close-knit nature of Kali and his boys shows the importance of loyalty in the definition of family.